The 2023 Palarong Pambansa, officially known as the 63rd Palarong Pambansa, also known as Palaro 2023 and Marikina 2023, was a multi-sport event held in Marikina, Metro Manila, from July 29 to August 5, 2023. Student-athletes from 17 athletic associations representing the 17 regions of the Philippines competed in different sporting events and disciplines.
Prior to that, the Games were originally scheduled in the city for 2020 but were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hosting Preparations Nearly three years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation, the local government of Marikina, DepEd-NCR, and the Schools Division Office of Marikina hosted the 63rd edition of Palarong Pambansa.
An additional tier called the Pre-National Qualifying Meet was introduced to lessen the number of delegations, shorten the duration of the event, and lower the expenses. Under the new tier, delegations were clustered into four groups based on their geographical location. The top two regional delegations per cluster then advanced to the actual Palarong Pambansa event.
As such, the said new level only featured team sports. Measurable sports adopted the qualifying distance, time, and points set by the Palarong Pambansa. Other sports that do not apply qualifying standards in the selection of athletes and are not identified as team sports advanced directly to the Palarong Pambansa culminating competitions.
The modified competition format aimeed to prevent the disruption of classes and to observe minimum public health and safety protocols and other relevant policies and guidelines issued. Aside from student-athletes from the 17 regional athletic associations, Filipino athletes enrolled in recognized schools overseas were also allowed to compete in individual sports under the banner of Philippine Schools Overseas.
On February 6 and April 24, Palarong Pambansa conducted a 5-day division and regional meets according to DepEd Memorandum No. 5, s. 2023, as recommended by the Palarong Pambansa Secretariat.
On July 22, Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) secretary Sara Duterte led the inspection of playing venues at the Marikina Sports Center prior to the press launch. She was joined in the technical inspection by Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, Interior and Local Government secretary Benhur Abalos, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann and Marikina Sports Center administrator Angelito Llabres. Duterte and Teodoro also signed the memorandum of agreement between DepEd and the Marikina government for the hosting of Palaro 2023. Host city
This was Marikina's first time hosting the Palarong Pambansa and the first time since the halt of the event due to the COVID 19 pandemic. It was also NCR's fifth hosting since the 1966 Palarong Pambansa held in Quezon City, after 54 years. Marikina was the fourth city in NCR to stage the Palarong Pambansa after Manila, Pasig, and Quezon City (1948 and 1960, 1964, and 1966 respectively). Marikina also bid for recent editions of Palarong Pambansa: 2014 (runner-up to Sta. Cruz, Laguna) and 2012 (runner-up to Lingayen, Pangasinan).
Marikina is part of the NCR contingent and Marikina Sports Center served as the main playing venue as well as the venue of the grand opening ceremony on July 31, two days after the Games' pre-event activities (such as meetings, refreshers, and training) started, and the closing ceremony.
In history, Marikina was supposed to host the "31st" Palarong Pambansa in 1980 but was canceled. Marikina hosted the 1980 Palarong Bagong Lipunan as a substitute for the 1980 Palarong Pambansa.
Marikina also previously hosted some major multi-sporting events: NCR Palaro, 2014 ASEAN School Games, 2011 UAAP Season 74, 2005 Southeast Asian Games, 1980 Palarong Bagong Lipunan, the first edition of 1973 Asian Athletics Championships and 1972 ISF Men's World Championship.
The Games Participating regions
Regions Code Official name Region colorsBARMAABangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoCARAACordillera Administrative RegionNCRAANational Capital RegionI-R1AARegion I / Ilocos RegionII-CAVRAARegion II / Cagayan ValleyIII-CLRAARegion III / Central LuzonIV-A STCAARegion IV-A / Southern Tagalog - CalabarzonIV-B MRAARegion IV-B / Southern Tagalog - MimaropaV-BRAARegion V / Bicol RegionVI-WVRAARegion VI / Western VisayasVII-CVIRAARegion VII / Central VisayasVIII-EVRAARegion VIII / Eastern VisayasIX-ZPRAARegion IX / Zamboanga PeninsulaX-NMRAARegion X / Northern MindanaoXI-DAVRAARegion XI / Davao RegionXII-SRAARegion XII / SoccsksargenCARAGARegion XIII / Caraga
Tiers A Pre-National Qualifying Meet was introduced to lessen the number of delegations, shorten the duration of the event, and lower the expenses. As such, the said new level only featured team sports such as baseball, basketball, football, futsal, sepak takraw, football, and volleyball. Under the new tier, delegations were clustered into four groups based on their geographical location.
Cluster 1 Ilocos Region Cagayan Valley Central Luzon Cordillera Administrative Region
Cluster 2 Calabarzon Mimaropa National Capital Region Bicol RegionCluster 3 Western Visayas Central Visayas Eastern Visayas Zamboanga Peninsula
Cluster 4 Northern Mindanao Davao Region SOCCSKSARGEN CARAGA BARMM
Billeting areas Schools used as billeting quarters for the 2023 Palarong Pambansa.
Billeting quarters for student-athletes Region Billeting Area Location Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Industrial Valley ES Industrial Valley NHS Industrial Valley Complex Cordillera Administrative Region Barangka ES Barangka NHS Barangka Tañong HS Tañong National Capital Region Sto. Niño ES Sto. Niño NHS Santo Niño Region I - Ilocos Region San Roque ES San Roque NHS San Roque Region II - Cagayan Valley SSS Village ES SSS Village NHS Concepcion Dos Region III - Central Luzon Parang ES Parang Region IV-A - Southern Tagalog - Calabarzon Parang NHS Parang Region IV-B - Southern Tagalog - Mimaropa Concepcion ES Concepcion Uno Region V - Bicol Region Marikina HS Concepcion Uno Region VI - Western Visayas Calumpang ES Calumpang NHS Calumpang Region VII - Central Visayas Malanday ES Malanday Region VIII - Eastern Visayas Marikina ES Santa Elena Region IX - Zamboanga Peninsula H. Bautista ES Concepcion Uno Region X - Northern Mindanao Nangka ES Nangka Region XI - Davao Region Concepcion Integrated School Concepcion Uno Region XII - Soccsksargen Fortune ES Fortune HS Fortune Region XIII - Caraga Jesus Dela Peña NHS L. Victorino ES Jesus Dela Peña
Billeting quarters for officials and committees Officials Billeting Area Location National Screening and Accreditation Committee (NSAC) /National Technical Working Group (NTWG) Regional Educational Learning Center (RELC) / National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) Concepcion Uno Philippine School Overseas (PSOs) Technical & Officials Jehoshua Academy Marikina Heights Philippine Youth Convergence Infant Jesus Academy Concepcion Dos Marist School Marikina Heights Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College Marikina Heights St. Scholastica's Academy Marikina Heights Technical Officiating Officials Kapitan Moy ES Santa Elena Marikina Heights HS Marikina Heights Santa Elena HS Santa Elena Notes: ES – Elementary School, HS – High School, NHS – National High School
Sports A total of 34 sports disciplines, including the para-games, demonstrations, and exhibition sports, were featured.
Included as an exhibition sport were Indigenous Filipino (Traditional) Games, also known as "Laro ng Lahi", such as Kadang-kadang, Tumbang Preso, and Patintero.
Demonstration Sports Dancesport Pencak Silat
Exhibition Sports Cheerdancing Esports Obstacle course Traditional games Weightlifting
Parasports Athletics Bocce Goalball SwimmingRegular Sports Archery Arnis Athletics Badminton Baseball Basketball Billiards Boxing Chess Football Futsal Gymnastics Aerobics Artistic Rhythmic Sepak takraw Softball Swimming Table tennis Taekwondo Tennis Volleyball Wrestling Wushu
Venues Majority of the sports took place in venues within Marikina. Locations in italics denote venues outside the city of Marikina (Antipolo and Cainta, Rizal;, Quezon City, Pasig, Manila).
Regular Sports Event Venue Location Opening and closing ceremonies Marikina Sports Center Santa Elena Archery STI Goldtoe Archery Center Barangka Arnis Marist HS Gymnasium Marikina Heights Athletics Marikina Sports Center - Athletics Track & Field Santa ElenaPhilsports Stadium PhilSports Complex Badminton Trevi Sports Gymnasium Concepcion Uno Baseball Marquinton Baseball Field Santo NiñoSanto Niño Baseball Field Santo Niño Basketball Marikina Sports Center Gymnasium [Finals] Santa ElenaMarist HS Gymnasium Marikina HeightsMarist ES Gymnasium Marikina HeightsPBL/Lambak Gymnasium Santa Elena Billiards Sta. Lucia Bowling & Billiards Center Sta. Lucia East Center Boxing Plaza De Los Alcades (Marikina City Hall Grounds) Santa Elena Chess Marikina Convention Center Concepcion Dos Football Ateneo Football Field Ateneo de Manila UniversityMarikina Sports Center - Football Field [Finals] Santa ElenaMarist Football Field Marikina Heights Futsal Hacieda Heights Gymnasium Concepcion Dos Gymnastics San Andres Gymnasium (Aerobic) San Andres Sports ComplexRizal Memorial Coliseum (Artistic) Rizal Mem. Sports ComplexNinoy Aquino Stadium (Rhythmic) Rizal Mem. Sports Complex Sepak takraw Marikina HS Gymnasium Concepcion Uno Softball Patio Rosario Open Field Sumulong Highway Swimming Marikina Sports Center - Indoor Pool Santa Elena Table tennis Jem Civic Center Parang Taekwondo St. Scholasticas Academy Gymnasium Marikina Heights Tennis Fin Asia Tennis Court Sumulong HighwayRancho Estate 1 & 2 Multipurpose Hall Concepcion DosSuburbia East Tennis Center Parang Volleyball Marikina Sports Center - Volleyball Area Santa ElenaMarikit Multipurpose Gymnasium Santo NiñoOLOPSC Gymnasium Marikina Heights Wrestling Simeona Gymnasium Concepcion Uno Wushu Vista Valley Gymnasium Santo Niño
Demonstration Sports Event Venue Location Dancesport National Christian Life College Auditorium Santo Niño Pencak Silat Parkland Estate Gymnasium Malanday
Special Para Events Event Venue Location Athletics Marikina Sports Center - Athletics Track & Field Santa ElenaPhilsports Stadium PhilSports Complex Bocce Loyola Grand Villas Gymnasium Loyola Grand Villas Goalball Loyola Grand Villas Gymnasium Loyola Grand Villas Swimming Marikina Sports Center - Indoor Pool Santa Elena
Exhibition Sports Event Venue Location Cheerdancing Marikina Sports Center Gymnasium Santa Elena Esports Teatro Marikina San Roque Obstacle course Marikina Sports Center Gymnasium Santa Elena Weightlifting Marikina Sports Center Gymnasium Santa Elena Kadang-kadang (Indigenous game) Marikina Sports Center Gymnasium Santa Elena Patintero (Indigenous game) Marikina Sports Center Gymnasium Santa Elena Tumbang Preso (Indigenous game) Marikina Sports Center Gymnasium Santa Elena
Source: 2023 Palarong Pambansa Playing Venues
Calendar OCOpening ceremony ● Event competitionsF/MFinals/Medal eventsCCClosing ceremony
JulyAugustEvents28Sat29Sat30Sun31Mon1Tue2Wed3Thu4Fri5Sat Ceremonies
| style="background-color:#00cc33;text-align:center;" |OC
| style="background-color:#ee3333;text-align:center;" |CC||Regular and Demonstration1 Sports Archery
| style="background:#3399ff; text-align:center" | ● | style="background:#3399ff; text-align:center" | ● | style="background:#3399ff; text-align:center" | ● | style="background:#3399ff; text-align:center" | ● | style="background:#ffcc00; text-align:center" | M || Arnis
| style="background:#3399ff; text-align:center" | ● | style="background:#3399ff; text-align:center" | ● | style="background:#3399ff; text-align:center" | ● | style="background:#3399ff; text-align:center" | ● | style="background:#ffcc00; text-align:center" | M || Athletics
| style="background:#ffcc00; text-align:center" | M